Military locates place where rebels took 2 soldiers

From the Mindanao Gold Star Daily (Sep 1): Military locates place where rebels took 2 soldiers

THE army’s 4th Infantry Division has already located the area where the New People’s Army (NPA) took two soldiers rebels captured in Barangay Bontongon, Impasugong, Bukidnon, in Aug. 22.

1Lt. Norman Tagros, spokesperson of the 8th Infantry Battalion, said a rescue team organized has spotted the area where the rebels are holding PFCs Marnel Cinches and Jerrel Yorong.

NPA-North Central Mindanao spokesman Allan Juanito earlier confirmed that the NPA snatched Cinches, 23, and Yorong, 28, at the market area of Buntungon, Impasug-ong, in the late afternoon of Aug. 22.

The two soldiers are members of the Bravo Company of the 8th IB who were sent to the town in order to do community organizing work in Barangay Buntungon. At that time, they were sent to the market to buy goods needed by their team.

Juanito said rebels seized the young soldiers’ guns––a caliber .45 pistol, M16 rifles, M203 grenade launchers, and assorted ammunition.

He said the soldiers have been subjected to a “process of investigation” for “prisoners of war.”

“Ginahimo ang pagtuki kun aduna ba sila’y giatubang nga mga kaso ug reklamo sa katawhan, giatiman sila sa usa ka custodial unit sa NPA subay sa gitakda sa mga lagda sa balaud sa gubat isip prisoners of war,” Juanito said in a statement.

He assured the family of the captives that the young soldiers were being treated well.

Tagros said that while the military has already located the area where the soldiers were being held captive, they were handling the situation with much caution because a miscalculation could endanger the captives.

He said the military has sought the help of church, government and lumad leaders to help them in facilitating the release of the young soldiers.
The military said the soldiers were taken by a unit under the NPA’s South Central Bukidnon Sub-Regional Command.

http://www.goldstardailynews.com.ph/mindanao/military-locates-place-where-rebels-took-2-soldiers.html